Toughness

[asiseeit]

This is an intangible that we excel at. Baker and Wessel are just super tough.
RK is getting pretty tough also and Fred tougher than he looks. They set a
great example for everyone else in that regard. Bottom line - we have a TOUGH
team in its literal sense. Makes me think of Wild Bill Lang. GM would have loved him.
Anyone else believe this is the toughest team in our history? If not, who tops them?

[jdshock]

Carl Hall's toughness might not ever be matched. That Final Four team had Fred and Ron (plus EW before the injury) and Carl, Tekele and Armstead. EO was a man, too.

I'm with you that this team is tough, but my goodness... I didn't want to get in a back alley fight with any of those guys.

[Shocker Mama]

When I was reading the Eagle, after KU's loss to ISU, and BS said what they needed was a personality infusion, I commented to my husband about how HCGM's personality is always so evident in his teams. Tough, gritty, hard-nosed, and never-say-die. Maybe it's Bill.

[Rosewood]

I've always had this mental image of a family tree of toughness for our program under HCGM. Of course it starts with HCGM. But the first guy I remember buying into it was Ramon Clamente. 07-09 for Ramon. Graham Hatch learned toughness under Ramon for his run from 07-11. Next up in the lineage is of course Carl Hall in his 11-13 run. Now we also get some overlapping because of COURSE you have to go to Tekele Cotton for his 11-15 run and now Evan Wessel for his 2011-2016 stint. Now others have played tough and played angry. But I put those guys down as THE heart and soul of HCGM's style. Toure and Stutz were great. JT was made by HCGM. Clevin Hannah and Malcom Armstead were amazing guards. None of those guys were soft. But we all know what I'm talking about when I say Clamente, Hatch, Hall, Cotton, and Wessel.

Now the question is - who's next?

[moshock]

I like the fact that our guys are tough but none of them are thugs or play dirty. They do things the right way.

[WuShock16]

I've always had this mental image of a family tree of toughness for our program under HCGM. Of course it starts with HCGM. But the first guy I remember buying into it was Ramon Clamente. 07-09 for Ramon. Graham Hatch learned toughness under Ramon for his run from 07-11. Next up in the lineage is of course Carl Hall in his 11-13 run. Now we also get some overlapping because of COURSE you have to go to Tekele Cotton for his 11-15 run and now Evan Wessel for his 2011-2016 stint. Now others have played tough and played angry. But I put those guys down as THE heart and soul of HCGM's style. Toure and Stutz were great. JT was made by HCGM. Clevin Hannah and Malcom Armstead were amazing guards. None of those guys were soft. But we all know what I'm talking about when I say Clamente, Hatch, Hall, Cotton, and Wessel.

Now the question is - who's next?

Ben Smith might have been a bridge between Graham and Carl.

[another shocker]

you could see that evansville came out yesterday trying to tough it up against wichita state. the shockers responded and doubled down on that bet

[Perezident]

I too love this team's toughness. Kelly really stood out in that dept yesterday!!

But I'm a bit concerned about the fouling. Not sure if there's a correlation between the toughness and fouls, but we need to find a way to foul less and still maintain our tough mindset.

[wufan]

Carl Hall's toughness might not ever be matched.

I am reminded of a quote I read from Carl, o maybe it was Ron. Either way, early in their first season (Carl a 22 year old JUCO transfer and Ron an unrecruited freshman red-shirt walk-on), after a grueling practice, Carl and Ron were mentally and physically beat and Carl gasped to Ron, "I don't know if I'm going to make it."

Ron, barely able to catch his breathe, looked back at Carl and said, "We're going to make it. We're going Shock the world!"

At least that's how Disney would write it in their screenplay.

[jdshock]

I am reminded of a quote I read from Carl, o maybe it was Ron. Either way, early in their first season (Carl a 22 year old JUCO transfer and Ron an unrecruited freshman red-shirt walk-on), after a grueling practice, Carl and Ron were mentally and physically beat and Carl gasped to Ron, "I don't know if I'm going to make it."

Ron, barely able to catch his breathe, looked back at Carl and said, "We're going to make it. We're going Shock the world!"

At least that's how Disney would write it in their screenplay.

We've had some spectacular young men play for us the last few years.

I give it to Carl specifically because of his heart condition. If that quote is true, you know he had some other stuff on his mind while he was attempting to finish the practice.

[wufan]

We've had some spectacular young men play for us the last few years.

I give it to Carl specifically because of his heart condition. If that quote is true, you know he had some other stuff on his mind while he was attempting to finish the practice.

It's an approximation of a real quote.

[Wuchalk]

I don't know if Joe Ragland qualifies as tough, but he used to get a look in his eyes that was a mixture of steely determination with some arrogance (in a good way) and when I saw that I knew we would win.

[Shocker Mama]

I've always had this mental image of a family tree of toughness for our program under HCGM. Of course it starts with HCGM. But the first guy I remember buying into it was Ramon Clamente. 07-09 for Ramon. Graham Hatch learned toughness under Ramon for his run from 07-11. Next up in the lineage is of course Carl Hall in his 11-13 run. Now we also get some overlapping because of COURSE you have to go to Tekele Cotton for his 11-15 run and now Evan Wessel for his 2011-2016 stint. Now others have played tough and played angry. But I put those guys down as THE heart and soul of HCGM's style. Toure and Stutz were great. JT was made by HCGM. Clevin Hannah and Malcom Armstead were amazing guards. None of those guys were soft. But we all know what I'm talking about when I say Clamente, Hatch, Hall, Cotton, and Wessel.

Now the question is - who's next?

Tekele Cotton was one tough dude. Jackie Carmichael throat kicked him, and he just got up and ran back on defense. Kelly Oubre flagrant fouled him while he was in mid-air, and he just got up and shot his free throws. He never even looked irritated. Just a "that's all you got?" expression.

[Eric]

When Cotton dunked on Goodwin at Memphis, the sneer on his face was pure gold.